Singletree



No. 999,949. Patented Aug. 9, |899.

H. c. BRATToN.

SINGLETREE.

(Application led May'O, 1897.)

(N0 Model.)

A l l5 .6' m R2 :el ,0 26

af l vwewbofo lenrya Bra Z'on .59W E m y ma (j www...

llNiTEn STATES PATENT UEETCE.

HENRY c. BRATToN, or LAFAYETTE, TENNESSEE.

SINGLETREE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 608,949, dated August 9, 1898.

Application filed May 20, 1897. Serial No. 637,340. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY C. BRATTON, of Lafayette, in the county of Macon and State of Tennessee, have" invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Singletrees; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will en able others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in singletrees; and the object of the same is to provide an improved singletree from which the horse may be released in the event of his becoming refractory.

The invention consists in the novel features of construction hereinafter fully described, claimed, and illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view taken from the rear side. Fig. 2 is a front elevation. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the device, showing the position of the parts forreleasing the horse.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, l indicates the cross-bar of the shafts, having secured to its upper side a plate 2, which is providedwith a curved slot 3.

4 is a clevis which is pivotally secured to the cross-bar by a pin 5, which passes through the upper and lower arms thereof and through the bar so that said clevis is movable upon the bar, the latter having a curved surface 6, terminating in the shoulders 7,whereby the clevis is permitted a rotary movement and is limited by the shoulders. e

S is a headed pin which is inserted through the enlargement 9 at one end of the curved slot 3 in the plate and moves in said slot, the upper end of the pin being secured to the upper arm of the clevis.

10 and 11 represent two sections of the sin.

gletree, which are hinged together at their inner ends, the pin which connects the outer ends of the arms of the clevis forming the pintle of the hinge. The meeting edge of each section is formed with a vertical groove 12, which incloses pin 8 when the sections are united. The end of section 10 carries a pin or projection 13, which engages a perforation lfiin the opposite member when said members are brought together.

Upon the upper and lower sides of the singlethe rear edges of the plates of one of the sections, is a bar 17 of metal, which at its opposite end is bent to form a clasp 1S. Pivoted `between similar ears 19, carried by the plates of the other memberof the singletree, is an eccentric shaft 20, which the clasp of the bar is adapted to engage to hold thejsections of the singletree united. Y

Upon the upper end of the shaft 20 is secured a trigger 21, and pivoted upon the upper side of section 10 of the singletree, adjacent said trigger, is the tripping-lever 22, having its opposite end ext-ending tothe inner end of said section. This lever is adapted to engage the trigger by its movement and operate the same to rotate the eccentric shaft, and thus disen gage the clasp of the bar from said shaft.

A spring 22 is secured at one end to the singletree, whichl carries the trigger, and at its free end is adapted to rest upon the clasp when the same is engaging the shaft, so that if the trigger is operated the sections of the sin gletree will not move forwardly unless the horse is pulling. Pins 23 limit the movement of said lever in either direction. The trigger is also provided with a handle 24, by means of Which it may be operated by the hand when desired.

The outer ends of the singletree-sections carry the rearwardly-curved hooks or projections 26, which receive the traces and-permit the latter to slip therefrom when the sections are swung forwardly.

A strap or rod is secured` to the opposite end of the tripping-lever and is brought within convenient reach ofthe person in the Vehicle, so that the same may be readily operated to trip the trigger and release the `spring-bar, permitting the sections of the singletree to separate, as illustrated in Fig. 8.

From the above description it will be seen that I have produced an improved singletree which may be operated to `release the horse when he becomes unmanageable.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of a s ingletreelformed of sections hinged together'and'pivoted to the IOO cross-bar of the shafts, a bar pivoted to one of said sections and adapted to extend to the opposite section, a clasp upon the end of said bar, an eccentric shaft journaled in the other section and adapted to be engaged by the clasp of the bar, a trigger upon the end of said shaft, a tripping-lever pivoted to said section and adapted to engage the trigger for operating the shaft to disengage the clasp of the bar therefrom, and means for accomplishing the movement of said lever, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of a singletree formed of sections hinged together and pivoted to the cross-bar of the shafts, a plate upon the upper side of said cross-bar having curved slot, a clevis pivoted to the bar, a pin secured at its upper end to the upper arm of the clevis and its lower end having a head movable in said slot, a bar pivoted to one of said sec-A tions and adapted to extend to the opposite section, a clasp upon the end of said bar, an eccentric shaft journaled in the other section and adaptedto be engaged by the clasp of the bar, a trigger upon the end of said shaft, a tripping-lever pivoted to said section and adapted to engage the trigger for operating the shaft to disengage the clasp of the bar therefrom, and means for accomplishing the movement of said lever, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this. 

